(2 of 2)
In the end, however, Homicide doesn't stand out in bold enough relief from TV's background clutter. The characters are too pat, their conflicts too predictable. The premiere episode revolves around a naive newcomer to the squad (Kyle Secor) who faces, yes, resentment from the old pros, because he came from a wimpy job on the mayor's security detail. By Episode 2 (the following Wednesday), the show already seems to be marking time with goofy character diversions. One detective jabbers obsessively about finding the real killer of President Lincoln; another gets crime-solving help from a ghost; a third, a middle-aged divorce, turns into an imbecile when he tries to ask a colleague for a date. Homicide does a professional job when it stays on the case. But even then, it's no miracle worker.